Motorola’s bendable ‘e-bangle’ phone revealed — how it works

Tech

By Adriana Diaz

Merry wristmas?

Motorola has unveiled its innovative “e-bangle” smartphone that wraps around the user’s wrist like a slap bracelet.

The latest prototype of the phone — which was initially promoted in 2016, per Gizmodo — boasts a 6.9-inch HD+ display when it’s laid flat and a 4.6-inch display when it’s folded to stand by itself like a tent.

The flexible device is backed by an orange fabric that connects to a magnetized wrist strap, with Motorola bragging that its revolutionary technology “molds” to its consumers’ needs.

“Motorola has developed a generative AI model that runs locally on the device to allow users to extend their personal style to their phone,” the electronics manufacturer said in a statement.

“With this concept, users can upload or capture a picture of their outfit to produce multiple unique AI-generated images that reflect their style. These images can then be used as a custom wallpaper on their device,” the Chicago-based company continued.

The prototype was shared this week at the Lenovo Tech World ’23 conference in Texas.

It is still being conceptualized and isn’t available for purchase.

Mashable noted that the cuff-style concept relies on a 2,220 x 1080-pixel plastic OLED screen, which is lighter, thinner, cheaper and more energy-efficient compared to a glass-based display, but is also more prone to scratches.

The bendable phone announcement comes as Motorola presents several new AI features that summarize long documents and texts, blur sensitive information, and improve document scanning.